Gaming machines, such as slot machines and video poker machines, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. EGMs, especially microprocessor-based gaming machines that follow a client/server configuration, provide flexibility through software control and the ability to communicate data and download software from a supporting server. Although EGMs are clients of a server, the configuration of the EGM may also be updated locally such as by software and/or data stored on nonvolatile media, e.g. compact flash memory card, which is directly loaded by the EGM. This enhances configuration flexibility and the ability to change a gaming application, i.e. game software currently controlling the EGM, without requiring support of the server. This is advantageous in permitting the EGM to be updated where the server is inoperative or communications are not available with the server. However, an update of an EGM not implemented by the server leaves the server with configuration data about the EGM that may not be current. Because the server relies on stored configuration information for each EGM for maintenance, reporting, authentication, etc., having incorrect configuration information at the server about an EGM can result in operational difficulties. Therefore, there is a need to minimize inconsistencies between the actual configuration of EGMs and configuration data about each EGM maintained by the supporting server.